Array of string in C: OK within a function, full of garbage in main()

Question

An array of strings is created in main and passed to a function. This function reads strings from a file and stores every line of the file in a different row of the array. Then finishes and returns to main. If I printf the contents of array[i] within the function, the text displayed in the screen is OK. If I do the same after returning to main(), printf writes only garbage. Why is main() not accessing the contents of the memory positions of the array?

void createlist(char* file, char **mylist) {

    FILE* stream;
    char name[40];
    int i = 0;

    stream = fopen(file, "r");      

    while (fgets(name, sizeof(name), stream) != NULL) { 

        mylist[i] = name;
        printf(mylist[i]);   // <------------------------This works OK! 
        i++;
    }
    fclose(stream);
}

void main(int argc, char* argv[]) {

    char list[3000][40]; 
    int i = 0;
    resetchararray(list, 3000);

    createlist("file", list);   

    for (i = 0; i < 3000; i++) {
        printf(list[i]);    // <---------------------This writes garbage
    }
}

Answer 1

name is a local variable in your function. It disappears after the function ends and leaves only garbage behind. To achieve what you are trying, use strcpy(), instead of mylist[i] = name;.

What is happening currently:

1. createlist("file", list); pass list by value @Shark warns!
2. mylist[i] = name; makes mylist[i] hold the address of a local variable!
3. createlist() terminates, having changed only a local copy of list (see point 1)